Herbs and Spices that Can Help with Weight Loss

While nothing can replace eating a healthy diet and regular exercise when it comes to losing weight, certain herbs and spices combined with these can make weight loss easier. Most of the herbs and spices that can help someone to lose weight are easily accessible either in the kitchen because they are ones that everyone uses for cooking, or they can be found easily in any grocery store in either the spices aisle or the health food section of the store.

Psyllium

Psyllium is an herb that has a few advantages with regard to a person's health. The first is that it helps to lower blood cholesterol, which according to the American Heart Association can contribute to obesity, and the second is that it can assist in eating less, and feeling more full. Finally, it can help to prevent constipation in those who suffer from it, as long as someone is drinking plenty of water at the same time. The reason psyllium is so good at doing these things is it is full of fiber. As further evidence in 1998, the FDA allowed that there was enough evidence to support the claim that adding psyllium to the diet lowered blood cholesterol to allow companies to put that claim on products containing psyllium.

Siberian Ginseng

Siberian ginseng is a useful herb when it comes to weight loss because it can help to keep a person from being tired when they are exercising. It assists the body in dealing with the stress of beginning an exercise program when someone hasn't been exercising regularly. This can make it easier to start and keep doing a regular exercise routine. As additional evidence, in 2005, the Swedish Herbal Institute found evidence that an ingredient called an adaptogen in siberian ginsing actually increased the body's physical performance within only 30 minutes of taking it.

Cayenne

Cayenne is a spice that can be found in a variety of forms such as ground spices, teas and even topical creams. Cayenne is useful in helping with weight loss because according to a study done in 2007 at the National Chung Hsing University of Taiwan, capsaicin, the active ingredient in cayenne kills preadipocytes, the cells that turn into fat cells. The means with the right dosage, it could be possible to keep the body from producing as many fat cells and as such combat obesity. One thing to keep in mind, though, is it can irritate the stomach lining and can react with anticoagulant drugs, so it's a good idea to consult with a physician before adding cayenne to a weight loss diet.

Flaxseed

Flaxseed is thought to be helpful for weight loss due to a recent study which was published in the British Journal of Nutrition. This study discovered the participants who had high levels of enterolactone, a product that is left over after the lignans in flax seed are broken down in the body, had lower amounts of body fat. In addition, these participants had lower blood sugar levels another good thing since increased blood sugar levels can lead to diabetes, a disease linked to obesity.

As you can see there are several options for using herbs and spices to help in assisting you to lose weight. However, you should also discuss these options with your doctor before beginning a regime with any of them as some of them can react with certain medications.